We Could Be Immortals
by Wings Of Sanguine
Summary: The Parr family is invited by Helen's oldest friend Cass Hamada to visit San Fransokyo for Hiro's robotics showcase. What ends up happening is much more then they bargained for when Hiro's invention is stolen and they need to don their superhero identities once more. (DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BIG HERO 6, THE INCREDIBLES OR ANY CHARACTERS)
1. Chapter 1

"Wow! Really? Thanks so much, Cass!" Helen was brimming with excitement as she chattered on the phone, receiving uncomfortable looks from her family. She was never this… excitable, for lack of a better term. Of course, she was loving and wonderful, but not this bubble of excitement she was now.

"Uh-huh. Yes of course-" Helen nodded as she spoke, raising an eyebrow at the kids and her husband, who gave her either a sheepish smile or a shrug. Bob could hear nonsensical babbling coming from the receiver.

"Of course we'll be there!" Helen exclaimed, then, "wait, how old are the boys now?" Bob winced as there was an audible gasp, sharp and shrill, "No way! He's in college!? Already? And what about Hiro, how's he doing?"

Violet brushed her black hair behind her ear as she watched her mom, leaning over the table, asking, "Dad?"

Bob blinked, looking up from his plate, "Yeah, hon?"

"Who is Mom talking to?" Violet asked, using her fork to push peas around her plate. They were eating leftovers- cold meatloaf and limp lettuce with a splash of dressing, thick potatoes that had a weird texture when sitting on the tongue too long. Bob shrugged, picking at the meatloaf on his own plate.

"An old friend of hers," he answered, shoving the food in his mouth. Dash blew a raspberry, receiving a giggle from Jack-Jack.

"Mom has friends?!" he exclaimed.

"I heard that young man!" Helen called from across the room, giving her son a pointed look before returning to the phone, "Sorry, that was just my son Dash. Tell me more about Hiro and Tadashi though…." Dash rolled his eyes once his mother's back was turned. Why was she so interested in these people?!

"What kind of names are Hiro and Tadashi anyway?" Dash grumbled as he stabbed his potatoes with his fork. There was a bang as Helen slammed the phone down on the receiver, crossing her arms as she ambled over and sat down.

"Japanese," she explained, ow eat your dinner, okay? We've got a busy day ahead of us." Violet and Dash exchanged glances.

"Uh, hon," Bob cleared his throat, noticing the kids confused looks, "what do you mean?" Helen sighed. Wiping her mouth with a napkin, she announced, "You guys don't remember, but my friend Cass-"

"What do you mean, don't remember?" Violet inquired snakily.

"You were four years old, young lady," Helen said abruptly, then, "Cass invited us to come see Hiro's showcase, so I agreed that we would go."

"A showcase?" Bob said nervously, "Helen, don't you think it might be a little crowded?" Helen gave him a glare. She knew he meant it would be boring. Bob often thought things were boring if they didn't involve anything super.

"It's not going to be boring, Bob," Helen said, "besides, Hiro is presenting a showcase, and I want us to go as a family to show him support."

"But we don't even know him!" Dash whined. Helen sighed, exasperated.

"Dash, you two used to play together all the time!" Helen said, "do you want me to break out the old photo albums again and show you?" Dash groaned, Violet laughing at his expense. All the pictures in the family photo alum were embarrassing and devastatingly funny. A lot of them were of the kids, but a few were of friends, old family gatherings and the like. Before anyone could say anything else, Helen was up and rummaging through a box sitting in another room. A few seconds later, she came back carrying a large red photo album with gold trim, slamming it on the table.

"When was the last time you opened that?" Bob joked, coughing as dust blew upward in a thick cloud. Helen ignored him, skimming the pages until she yelled out, "Found it! Here, take a look."

The picture she was gesturing to depicted Dash and Violet as young children, sitting idly on the floor as they played. Violet was reading a book, her legs crossed at her ankles, her black hair hanging in her face. Dash was seen sitting with two young boys, one the same age as himself. An older boy was sitting cross-legged with them on the floor, playing alongside them. He looked to be in his early teens, with black hair and brown eyes.

"Which one is Hiro?" Violet asked. Helen pointed to the boy the same age as Dash, with a mop of black hair and brown eyes like the other boy. He was wearing an extremely baggy green t-shirt, his arms looking like ski-poles as they stuck out of his sleeves.

"Here he is," Helen said, "you two used to play with superhero toys all the time, running around Cass's cafe-"

"Who's the older one?" Violet cut in, jutting her chin at the picture. Helen tapped the image of the older boy with her finger.

"This is Hiro's brother, Tadashi," Helen said, "he was much older than you two a the time, but Hiro was always hanging around him." Nostalgia had settled on her face as she stared at the picture with a smile, shaking her head solemnly.

"Honey, you okay?" Bob asked.

"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" she replied, "I'm just thinking how long it's been since we last saw them, is all." She flipped to the next page, and sadness immediately befell her features as she looked at the picture. Bob asked her again, "Honey, are you alright?" Helen slid the album over to Bob, and he let out a soft, "Oh."

The family was standing next to the brothers, but in this picture there were two other adults with them. Both the man and woman had smiling faces, proud to be with their children, with their friends.

"Mom? Dad?" Violet said, making the couple snap back to reality.

"Sorry, it's just, uh, a memory is all, nothing serious." Bob brushed off the question, coughing roughly. Helen shut the book, getting up from the table, "Alright, well, once you're done here, I'm going to call Cass again and tell her we're coming." Once she left the room, Bob was fired with questions:

"Who's in the picture?"

"Why is she so sad over a photograph?!"

"I think Jack-Jack just dumped his dinner on the floor."

Bb looked over to see that jack-Jack had indeed dumped his bowl of mashed baby food on the floor. He ignored it, seeing as his kids were asking so any questions, shooting one out right after the next, leaving no time to breathe.

"Kids, now, i need you to understand something," Bob began uncomfortably, "Hiro and Tadashi's parents-" He could gel sweat bead on his forehead, and he loosened his collar a bit to breathe easier.

It was always hard, talking about the Hamada's, since they had ben such good friends in the past.

It was especially hard for Helen to deal with Mrs. Hamada's death. Of course, after Cass, Mrs. Hamada's sister, reached out to her, they became fast friends, making it easier for the both of them. Violet and Dash were still looking at him, waiting for him to finish his explanation.

"So, what happened to them?" Dash quipped, resting his elbows on the table. Bob opened his mouth to reply, shutting it gratefully when Helen walked back into the room, happily announcing, "It's done! We leave for San Fransokyo tonight!"

Thankfully, the funny name distracted the kids, Dash asking, "What kind of name is San Fransokyo?"

"Yeah, Violet snorted, "is that even on planet Earth?" Helen frowned, ushering Violet and Dash out of their seats.

"Very funny, you two," she said, "now go pack. Cass expects us in the morning." Begrudgingly, Violet and Dash got up, grumbling about having to get up so early, meeting people they barely knew, and vice versa. Helen picked Jack-jack up out of his chair, carrying him to the kitchen with her as Bob helped her start to clean up.

"You know," Bob said, "I was just thinking, with the parents gone, how do you think the kids did?" Helen smiled painfully, bouncing Jack-Jack on her hip.

"I think they've been doing swell- at least, that's what Cass says," Helen replied, giving Jack-Jack a quick peck on his forehead as she began to hum a little tune to herself.

She could here Violet and Dash fitting about who got to use the bigger suitcase from upstairs as they packed.


	2. Chapter 2

"Oh, I can't wait!" Cass squealed into the phone as she tossed chicken wings on a skillet. The smell of spicy buffalo tickled her nose, making her want to sneeze. Of course, she promised Hiro she'd make them for dinner, after Tadashi said he'd take Hiro to visit the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology- SFIT for short, since, in her opinion, the name was quite a mouthful.

"Okay, yeah! See you in the morning- you guys can come straight here!" Cass went on, acutely aware of the front door opening and losing. Eyeing the staircase, she carefully placed the pan of wings on the burner, moving away from the stove, the phone in her hand. She waited a second before telling the other line.

"Oh, hold on a sec," she said, then with a yell, "Hiro? Is that you?"

No answer. She shrugged, returning to her conversation.

"Sorry- my nephew was just taking a tour of his soon- to be- new school!" Cass wiggled her fingers, imitating fireworks, even though she knew she couldn't see them- her friend, Helen Parr. Noddin, she roused on her cooking, unaware of said nephew sneaking up the stairs, a large white marshmallow-looking robot following behind.

"Wheee!" Cass heard someone say in a possibly drnken state, turning to find Hiro waiting next to the stairs that lead up to his room. He smiled wide, drumming his fingers on the railing.

"Hey, Aunt Cass!" he said somewhat nervously, resting his chin in his hand as he leaned on the edge of the railing. Cass grinned, speaking into the phone:

"Yeah, sorry, he just got home, give me a minute," she said, then to Hiro, "I thought it was you! Hey, how about wings for dinner!"

A nervous laugh, "Yeah, sure!" As soon as the words left his mouth, there was a loud hiss, followed by a crash. Hiro jumped out of his skin, Cass merely cocking her head like a lost puppy.

"What was that?" she asked.

"Oh, just Mochi," Hiro replied quickly, "that…. darned cat!' He snapped his fingers as Cass shrugged, turning around to put some wings on a plate for her nephew. He took it, nodding his head, "Thanks, I'm gonna take this upstairs- bye!" Before she could get anything out, Hiro had disappeared upstairs, slamming the door to his bedroom loudly.

"Yeah, sorry about that- Hiro got home just now," Cass nodded as she spoke into the receiver, "Tadashi? he's doing well- always with his science-y friends, you know?" She waited a minute before saying, "Okay, well, we'd love to have you- and definitely come for Hiro's showcase!" After filling Helen in, they both agreed the family would come for moral support, and with that, hung up.

Cass sighed- Helen was her oldest friend (ever since her sister and brother in law's deaths). Of course, Helen had a family of her now, with three beautiful kids. She shook her head- they probably didn't remember her, nor Hiro and Tadashi, since it was so long since they hd last visited. There was a creak as the door opened again, and seconds later, Hiro's brother, Tadashi clambered up the stairs.

"Hey Aunt Cass!" the college student greeted her, giving her a quick peck on the cheek, "Ooh! Wings tonight, huh?" Cass nodded, nodding towards the stairs.

"Yeah- get ready to have your faces melted!" she replied, "Oh- Hiro just got back, he's upstairs-"

"Cool, be down later!" Tadashi said, and was up the stairs in no time, leaving Cass to the cooking. Sighing, she went back to watching the wings fry in the pan. Sometimes she envied her friend- she always thought kids were cute, but she was never able to get a good grip on parenthood. Raising two kids for a decade was definitely difficult, but three? Nope. Out of the question.

A few minutes later, Tadashi and Hiro were back downstairs, Tadashi grabbing his brown satchel and slipping git over his shoulder. Hiro smirked at his brother, taking a seat with Cass at the table as Tadashi waved goodbye.

"Gotta get back to the lab, Aunt Cass," Tadashi called to her, and she nodded, blowing him a kiss as he clomped hurriedly down the stairs. She slid a plate of fresh wings across the table to Hiro, despite having given him a plate a few minutes earlier. Nevertheless, the boy chowed down, barbecue sauce slathered all over his face.

"What's got your brother in such a hurry?" Cass asked Hiro, sitting herself down across from him.

"Said he was heaping his friends with some projects or something," Hiro said nonchalantly between bites of chicken. A piece of the meat was stuck in the gap between his teeth, sticking out like driftwood in a lake. Cass crossed her arms, the wooden table rubbing hard against her elbows.

"Well, I'll tell him later then-"

"Tell him what?" Hiro interrupted, giving her a questioning look.

"My friend called today- her family used to visit when you and Tadashi were younger- but she and her family are coming to visit for your showcase!" Cass was nearly shrieking as she threw her hands up in excitement. Hiro grinned, dropping his food on his plate. Hot barbecue sauce splattered on the table a bit as the chicken met the porcelain dish.

"Really? Cool!" he exclaimed, "I can show them my robots?!"

Cass nodded, "She has a son- his name is Dash- you two can hang out! Won't that be fun?" Hiro shrugged- he was excited, but he didn't want to show it too much. It'd be nice to finally have someone other than Tadashi and Mochi to hang out with, though. And it'd be a kid his own age!

"Alright, well, when you're done with dinner, wash up and go to bed, okay?" Cass pinched Hiro's cheek as she collected her own dish, dumping it in the sink. It landed with a loud clang, sliding around until it settled next to the drain. Nodding, hire scarfed down his food, shoving his plate at his aunt when he was done to bound up the stairs.

He'd finally be able to hang out with people his own age. Starting tomorrow, he'd be able to reconnect with someone he and apparently known years ago- and that was pretty sweet.


	3. Chapter 3

Helen and Cass nearly pounced on one another as soon as they walked into the cafe. Customers gave them wayward looks while they sipped tea or read newspapers. Harsh clicking could be heard as one was typing away on their laptop, sipping coffee from a cat-shaped cup.

"I can't believe you're here!" Cass screeched happily, her grin making her face look like it was going to split her head in half. Helen nodded, taking in the Lucky Cat Cafe. They were surrounded by mint green walls, a bar sitting up against the far wall. Tables and chairs were scattered around the dining area, large windows letting light stream int the cafe. Bob smiled at Helen's old friend- both women looked very similar in appearance, with short brown hair and brown eyes, but Cass definitely had a sort of giddy air around her, if that made any sense.

"It looks nice, Cass," Helen said, peering around, "you run this place all by yourself?" Cass laughed, nodding her head, then shrugging. A bell sounded above the door, announcing the arrive of a customer.

"Well, not by myself- my nephew helps out sometimes," Css explained, then staring right over Helen's shoulder, said pointedly, "speaking of which-" Bob and Helen watched as a tall young man ambled into the cafe, slipping off a brown satchel from his shoulder. Cass wrapped him in a hug, rubbing his bad as she jabbed his chest with her index finger, "You're late, bonehead." The man laughed as Cass stood on her tip-toes, swiping a black baseball cap with gold and red characters on it, "And no hats! We don't want the customers to complain about hair in their soup again!" Violet and Dash chuckled as the man turned red, scratching his head.

"Yeah, sorry about that, Aunt Cass," he apologized with a grin, and Helen and Bob exchanged glances- this was her nephew?! She and to admit, the man was rather handsome. Helen stole a quick look at her daughter- Violet was giving him an interested look, but it didn't look like one of infatuation. Yet. They watched as he waked around the bar, bending own to retrieve something. A moment later. he popped back up, slipping on a navy blue apron. The fluorescent lights gleamed off the polished wood counter of the bar, casting shadow of the cat themed-items residing there.

"So Helen!" Cass said, digging into her pocket and handing her nephew a small notepad, "why don't you guys take a table and I'll catch up with you? I just need to make sure Mochi was fed!" Helen nodded, ushering her kids to a nearby table, all the while keeping her eye on case' nephew. She thought it odd that a young man would be willingly working with their family- as tara s her own son went, he couldn't even take out the trash until she badgered him for three days straight.

Cass came back a minute later, brushing silky white cat hairs off her apron, her footsteps loud in the cavernous restaurant. Smiling, she waved at he nephew to get to work, pulling out a chair to plonk herself down besides the family, "So, how's everything back home?"

"It's wonderful," Helen answered, straightening her back in the hard wooden chair, "Bob and I finally unfinished packing-"

"Oh, so you're the lucky man!" Cass joked, getting up from her seat to give Bob a hug. Once they broke away, she finally focused on the kids, "And this is Violet and Dashall?"

"Dash…" Dash muttered under his breath. Helen glared at him before nodding.

"Yes," she said, "they're the ones you heard on the phone."

"They grow up so fast…" Cass cooed, shaking her head as she looked at them. Dash and Violet gave her tight smiles- they were glad their mother decided to get a baby-sitter for Jack-Jack, because it seemed like this woman would be all over him. A sudden gasp escaped her throat as she ran to the stairs next to the bar, yelling up, "HIRO!"

Her nephew laughed as he waked over to the Parr's table, spinning the pen between his index and middle finger like it was a drumstick and he performing at a concert. Clicking the top, he poised the pen over the paper, saying, "Aunt Cass, he went out earlier."

"But you weren't supposed to take him to SFIT until earlier, hon!" Cass grumped as she came back over, sitting herself down once more. Flicking her fingers at him, she added, "Just take the orders, okay? Your Aunt wants some time with her friends." The Parr's watched as his brow flew up in surprise.

"Aunt Cass, is this your friend Helen you were speaking with yesterday?" he asked. Cass nodded, and he inclined his head in greeting, going to give Helen a quick hug.

"Pleasure to meet you, Mrs. parr," he said as they broke away, then he he'd his hand out to Bob, "You as well, Sir." Bob noticed the kid's grip was tight in his own as they shook hands- a firm handshake.

"Please, call me Helen, dear," Helen said.

"Bob works for me," Bob quickly added on, and the boy stood there in awkward silence until Cass jabbed his elbow.

Then he realized he was being incredibly rude.

Fumblign with the pen, he said, "Oh, right- um, what would you like to have?" Cass groaned, rolling her eyes.

"No, genius!" she chastised, "introduce yourself!" His face turned beet red as he nodded.

"Y-yeah, right- sorry about that," he cleared his throat. Cass leaned over the table to Dash and Violet as he straightened his apron, whispering, "Sometimes it's hard to believe that such a handsome boy could be so awkward!" The man's face turned an even deeper shade as the two kids laughed at his expense.

But no matter. It was what Aunt Cass did- make others laugh at his bad habits and qualities. Of course, she always meant it in the best way. It did, however, get annoying.

"Sorry," he bowed is head, "I forgot to introduce myself. Tadashi Hamada." He looked with confusion as Helen suddenly widened her eyes at him, looking between Cass and him.

"This is Tadashi?" she said breathlessly, "he's so grown up!" Cass knocked his arm.

"That's my little college man!" she cheered, "you know, I was so thrilled when he said he got into SFIT-"

"What's that?" Dash cut in abruptly.

"What's what, sweetie?" Cass tucked her hair behind her ear, a few strands falling back in her face.

"SFIT," Dash repeated, groaning when Violet jabbed him, "what's it stand for?"

"San Fransokyo Institute Of Technology, young man," Tadashi answered, rocking on his heels. He knew it was a bad habit, but it was something he had picked up from watching Hiro do it all the time. In turn, his younger brother had picked up the habit of sitting upside-down in his chair when searching for ideas. He raised an eyebrow at Dash, "Why do you ask? Looking at college applications already?" Cass gasped.

"Really? Hiro is too!" she exclaimed, then to the Bob, "he graduated high-school at thirteen!"

"Wow, thirteen?" Bob asked, unsure of this kid already- if he as that smart, would that make him a little stuck-up for his own son's standards?

"I know, right?!" Cass gushed, the bell of the shop ringing, "oh, there he is- Hiro! Over here!"

They were joined by a young teen- half Japanese, half Caucasian, by the looks of it- with a mop of messy black hair. He was wearing a blue sweatshirt over a red tee-shirt, khaki pants framing his skinny legs. A pair of beige and yellow high-tops adorned his feet, slapping the linoleum floor loudly as he walked over.

"Hey Aunt Cass- what's up?" the boy asked, smiling wide. A gap was in his front teeth, giving him an innocent appearance.

"You remember my friend Helen and her husband Bob?" Cass gestured to them. The kid shrugged.

"I think you mentioned them last night," he said, inclining his head, "Hiro Hamada, nice to met you." Helen nodded in return, noticing Tadashi grabbing Hiro's arm, pulling him close.

"Dude, where were you?" she heard him say low under his breath. Hiro shrugged.

"It was the last bot fight of the season!" he said timidly, a reluctant grin on his face. Tadashi groaned, slapping his forehead.

"Are you kidding me, Hiro?!" he blurted, then, "I'm going to steal Hiro for a minute, Aunt Cass." Saluting the Parr family, he said, "It was great meeting you all!" Cass chuckled, watching until they disappeared up the stairs.

"They seem nice," Violet said after an awkward pause.

"Oh, they're wonderful, you'll love them!" Cass bragged. Her laughter petered off as she rested her chin in her hand, "I'm sorry, it's just so nice to see you again, Helen."

"So how old are they?" Bob piped up, "Hiro and Tadashi, that is?"

"Hiro? He's fourteen," Cass said, "Tadashi is twenty-one."

"Twenty-one? He looks younger-" Violet cut in sharpy, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah- I think that's why all the girls who come in really come for his attention," Cass guessed, pointing to a table full of haggling girls. Tadashi was walking back into the restaurant, having left Hiro upstairs. and Violet watched them squeal as Tadashi whipped out his notepad, asking, "Hello ladies, I'll be your server today."

"Hi Tadashi," one of them gushed, "you're looking great as always….!" Tadashi, much to Violet's annoyance, was oblivious to such obvious flirting.

"And yourself as aways Ethel," Tadashi answered casually, "so what can i get you girls?" Instead of reading off the menu, they squealed, giggling and hiding their blushing faces behind the laminated booklets.

"See?" Cass said "it's hard to keep them away!" Helen chuckled as they watched the girls moon over Tadashi for a few minutes, then changing the subject, "So you said Hiro had a showcase over the phone?" Cass nodded, licking her lips.

"Tadashi is trying to convince him to go to SFIT, with his knowledge of robotics and all," Cass explained, "so he made something- I personally don't know what it is- but he's going to make a presentation tomorrow and i'm just so excited!" Cass was bouncing n her seat like a five year old, a kid hopped up on pounds of sugar at a Halloween party.

"That's great!" Bob said, "what time is it? I mean, considering we would have to find a hotel and everything-"

"Hotel?!" Cass cried suddenly, "Who said anything about a hotel? I've got spare rooms set up for you guys upstairs!" Helen blinked- Cass was always prepared, it seemed, for they hadn't gone over living arrangements over the phone.

"Are you sure this is okay?" Helen asked, unsure of the situation- knowing her own kids, if they got rowdy and decided to use their powers on one another… well, it'd be a big mess, that's what. And she wasn't sure if she ever told Cass about them either.

"Of course! Besides, the boys need to interact with people- i mean, sure Tadashi has his college friends, but Hiro's always in his room playing with robot parts and junk-" Cass complained, rambling on and on about how introverted the kid was, how it seemed he liked robots more than people. Helen winced- Dash was not really interested in anything that had to do with science, so this was going to be a trying time between the two, she could feel it.

"You know what- I'll have Tadashi show you around!" Cass suggested, then before the Parr's could protest, she called him over, "Tadashi! Take a break and show them upstairs, okay?" Helen noticed Violet laugh as the kid gratefully pulled himself away from the table of girls, jogging over to them.

"I swear they are so annoying," he mumbled, breathing slowly, "but sure, I'll be glad to." Cass freed Tadashi of his apron and notepad, and he graciously led the Parrs upstairs to the apartment. Violet stole a quick glance at the girls, who were looking sad that Tadashi was leaving.


	4. Chapter 4

"Hiro!" Tadashi called, the Parr family following in his wake, "Hiro, get down here!" They stood awkwardly in the living room, taking in the quaint living quarters. A plush red couch sat in the center of the room, across from a television set. A coffee table was varnished to perfection, a small glass bowl of candies resting atop it. The room had an open concept to it, revealing a small kitchen with a perfect view of the people in the living room. A staircase next to the kitchen led to the upstairs rooms, where the parts could safely assume Hiro and Tadashi stayed. Footsteps plonked on the stairs loudly and Hiro joined them, a small black toy looking object in his hand.

"Hi Tadashi- gotta go!" Hiro said quickly, jerking backwards once Tadashi hooked the hood of his sweatshirt with his finger, puling him back.

"Hiro what is that?" he pointed to the object in his brother's hands as he hid it behind his back, giving him a smile. Tadashi shook his head- he and seen Hiro use that smile before. It was the one Hiro used to try and sweet-talk adults- or (more commonly), get out of trouble if there was any to get out of in the first place.

Now was definitely one of those times.

Grunting, Tadashi reached behind his little brother, wrenching the item from his fingers. It was cold and metallic, with five pieces stuck onto it- one drawn on to look like a face, the others attached to look like limbs.

"Just great, Hiro," Tadashi grumbled, waving the robot in his face, "you told me you wouldn't do this anymore!"

"Do what?" Dash asked Violet to the side of his mouth, in which Violet could only shrug. It really wasn't any of their business, watching as Hiro snatched it back.

"There's one more to celebrate the end of the season!" Hiro protested, holding the small robot close to his chest, "if I break for it now I won't miss it!" Tadashi moaned, running a hand through his hair. He sent an apologetic look at the Parrs before turning back to Hiro.

"Do you want to get yourself arrested?" Tadashi asked, a slight whine to his voice, "I mean, last time you came home with a black eye!" Bob winced, and Helen jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow to keep him quiet.

"It isn't my fault all of the other fighters re bigger than me!" Hiro retorted.

"If they're bigger than you why do you even do it?" Tadashi said.

"It's fun…?" Hiro said timidly. shrinking back into his oversized hoodie. His brown eyes seemed t sparkle with a sort of feigned innocence, something, it seemed to the Parrs, the kid had used on people before. Unfortunately Tadashi would have none of it.

"It's illegal!" Tadashi exclaimed, wringing his hands, "you graduate high school at thirteen and this is what you're doing with that big brain of yours?!" Hiro rolled his eyes as Tadashi went on, "I mean, what would Aunt Cass think if she found out? What would Mom and Dad think?!"

That struck a nerve. Hiro's eyes went from bored to malicious in a second flat as he glared at his brother. Every single time, Tadashi bought up their parents. Every single time, it hurt.

"I wouldn't know," he said coldly, "they died when i was three, remember?" Tadashi felt his stomach drop- often, he forgot Hiro never really knew their parents. So it was hard to have Hiro think about what they might see in him. But could he help it? After knowing them for so many years of his own life?

"Hiro…." Tadashi managed, trailing off as he couldn't find the words. Hiro ignored him, pushing past him angrily and bounding down the stairs. Tadashi winced as he heard the cafe door slam, a sinking feeling settling in his chest.

"Sorry about that.." Tadashi laughed awkwardly rubbing his head, "Hiro can be a little, uh, stubborn…" Biting his lips, he let his arm drop to his side. Of course he and to go and blow a perfectly good first impression in front of Cass' childhood friends.

Sometimes he wondered why he even interacted with other people, but he knew it was the polite thing to do. To put himself out there. And now he and to put aside the awkwardness- for Aunt Cass's sake, of course.

"Anyway," he cleared his throat, "welcome to our home. There's one more room upstairs- Aunt Cass', but she said she was sleeping on the couch so you guys could have it-"

"That's very nice, but I think we'l be fine in the living room," Helen nodded, clasping her hands in front of her. Tadashi grinned, shrugging as he pointed to the kitchen, with it's open space concept.

"Obviously, that' the kitchen over there," he said, "and the living room, which you're insight now." He chuckled at his own obviousness, "My room is upstairs if you guys need me for anything, as well as Hiro's. There' a bathroom as well, so no worries about that…" He shoved his hands in his pockets, "And that's pretty much it. Again, anything you need you can tell me. Feel free to make yourself at home." Nodding, he sighed, the floorboards creaking under his weight as he went upstairs.

Once he was gone, Dash made a beeline for the ultra-plush couch, his powers making him a blur as he claimed a spot by the arm. The coffee table rattled slightly, settling back down in its spot once Dash had stopped moving. Helen narrowed her eyes at him, walking briskly over to plop herself on the couch next to him.

"Dash, what did I say about using your powers?" she reminded him.

"What? none of them are here right now!" Dash whined.

"Tadashi is upstairs! What if he came down and saw you?!" Helen tried, and Dash groaned, the pillow pooling up a he layer his head down on the cushion. There was a meow followed by the sound of padded feet as the Hamada' family cat- _Mochi_, Helen remembered the animal's name- waddled over, stretching its legs. The cat then made a dash for the couch, wiggling its tail as it made a few attempts to jump. After watching the cat for a few minutes, Helen reached down and hoisted him up, her fingers tickled by Mochi's soft white fur, spotted with black and brown markings and designs.

She almost dropped the animal as she heard footsteps frantic on the stairs, and Tadashi almost fell as he tripped on the last step. His face looked pale, and he hopped about as he tried tying his mint green sneakers on properly. A crash sounded as he then let gravity get the best of him.

"Hey! What's wrong, son?" Bo asked, helping him sit up as he finished tying his shoes. Grabbing his cap, he smashed it on his head, slipping his satchel over his shoulder as he pushed himself up, nearly flying as he yelled, "Hiro. Trouble. Gotta go!"

They watched as he flew down the stairs, almost knocking gin to Cass as she carried out a tray of tea, upsetting the pot in her hands.

"Don't stay out too late!" Cass called after her nephew as the Parr's rushed downstairs. Cass had gone back to work, whirling a tune to herself.

"He said trouble," Bob flashed a quick smile at Cass as they passed her, "you think it means anything?"

"He probably got lost or something," Dash tried. He had a bored expression on his face. Helen knew he didn't like the trip from the start, but she would have to deal with him later. Tadashi definitely looked to be in distress. It was also apparent that Cass had no idea.

"No, he looked really bad," Violet snapped at her brother, "we should go check on him!"

"Is this love I'm sensing?" Dash teased, receiving a shove from Violet.

"Shut up, you little insect!"

"Kids!" Helen hissed at them, "stop this instant! We need to get out suits and go after him, alright?" Bob raised an eyebrow at his wife. That wasn't really much of a plan.

"What about Cass?" Bob asked, careful to keep his voice low, "she's so happy to see you again."

"We'll tell her we're going out, okay?" Helen said, "it sounds dumb, but it should be okay."

A few minutes later they were decked out in their red and black costumes, careful to hd them under their own clothes as they walked through the cafe, waving good night to Cass as she woke.

Once the door was closed they were at a full sprint, following Tadashi as he ran into the parking lot of the restaurant, hopping on a moped bike. Bob groaned as he revved the engine, peeling into the street.

"Now how are we going to follow him?" Bob complained as he watched the kid round a corner, "he's on a bike!" Violet scowled, Dash crossing his arms. Helen looked around the parking lot- she knew she had parked the car somewhere….

"There it is!" she cried, urging her family to follow her as she ran at their minivan, climbing in and buckling up, "We can follow him in the car- but we can't make it too suspicious!" Bob nodded, narrowing his eyes as he gripped the steering wheel, rubber tires groaning against the asphalt as they pulled out of their spot and sped down the road.

Helen could only hope they made it in time before either Hiro or Tadashi got hurt.


	5. Chapter 5

"Arrested?!" Cass cried as she walked out of the car with the Parr family. Helen winced as her friend's face turned beet red, eyes wide with fury. Cass was always a spirited woman, but when she was angry… oh, boy, was it bad to even say a single word. She blew up, steam looking like it might blow out of her ears at any moment.

Helen and Bob had picked Cass up after watching Hiro and Tadashi run from thugs in a dark alley. The only thing Violet and Dash could see were the bright lights of Tadashi's moped as Hiro hopped on and they sped away.

Only to be stopped by the police.

"I'm sorry, Cass," Helen apologized, crossing her arms as they waited outside the station. A rather fat policeman was sipping a cup of coffee as he leaned against the wall, a crinkly newspaper crumpled in his fist as he held his mug with the other. It was the middle of the night, making the street lamps cast strong shadows on the concrete.

"Mom, that car chase looked so cool!" Dash exclaimed, "like Tadashi just swooped in…." Dash made airplane motions with his hands as Violet rolled her eyes. Bored of her son's rants, Helen glanced around the entrance of the building. A bike rack sat on one side of the door, adjacent to where the parking lot began. Rows of identical cars sat in white chalk lines, waiting to be wheeled away.

"Dash, now isn't the time for that," Helen warned her son, her eyes fluting back to Cass as she shouted with rage, shaking her hands as they balled into fists.

"A decade!" she cried, "a full decade I have tried raising these kids! Have I been good aunt? Yeah!"

"Of course you have, Cass," Bob tried, jumping back as she wrung her hands, nearly slapping him in the face. Ducking out of the way, he decided to keep his eye on the door. There was a creak as it opened, letting light spill out onto the steps as a police officer escorted two young males outside.

"Should I have pick dup a book on parenting?! Maybe!" Cass continued to complain as the police officer came to a stop with the two boys.

"Excuse me ma'am," the officer said, a bored expression on his face. Cass stopped talking, catching his attention, "Yes officer?" She was quick to put on a smile, calm her nerves in a snap.

"These are your sons, correct?" the officer asked.

"Nephews," Cass corrected the man, "and thank you! Have a nice night!" The two families watched as the officer drudged his way back to the station, stopping momentarily to chat with the offer drinking coffee by the door.

"Nice going, bonehead."

Both the Hamada boys widened their eyes as Cass suddenly turned on them, eyebrows raised, eyes narrowed.

"Who said that?!" she demanded. Jaws agape, Hiro shakily pointed to his older brother, who could only blush. In a blur of fingers, Cass snatched Tadashi's baseball cap from his head, revealing the silky black hair underneath.

The next minute she was smacking the two of them upside the head, the fabric rough against their cheeks.

"Arrested!" she shouted at them, the Parrs meekly making their way to the car. The Hamadas followed, heads hung in shame. Tadashi's cap was crushed between Cass's fingers, her knuckles turning white as her grip on the accessory tightened. Dash opened his mouth to say something, closing it when Helen gave him a pointed look.

"Not right now, young man," she warned and he climbed into the backseat with Violet, who fidgeted with her hair. Cass had claimed the driver's seat, drumming her fingers against the steering wheel, Tadashi's hat sitting in her lap.

"Sorry Aunt Cass," Tadashi tried as he got inside, pulling at Hiro's hoodie. The teen gave him a confused look before realization flooded his face.

"Oh, right," he said quickly, "Sorry, Aunt Cass-"

"Do you think that's gonna cut it?" Cass bawled. The car door slammed shut as Bob finally got in, and he yelped in surprise when Cass made a near wheelie while peeling out of the parking lot, rubber tires screeching on the pavement.

She was still on her tirade when they got home, the cafe empty and free of customers. A sign swung lazily on the door as Tadashi pulled it closed behind them. Cass grabbed the two boys, pointing at the sign.

"Look!" she said, "I had to close early because of you two!" Helen raised an eyebrow at Cass as she went on. She knew the woman meant well, but was it necessary to still be yelling at them? They were teenagers, after all. It was common for kids to mess up now and again. _Of course_, Helen thought, sending a glance to her own kids, _mine have been in tougher situations. _

"Cass, i think you need to calm down a little," Helen tried, grabbing her friend by the shoulders. She and taken a donut from a platter on the counter and was currently stuffing her face, jabbing the dessert in her nephews directions.

"Stress eating!" she scolded, "Stress! Eating- God this is good!" Bob nodded at his wife, and she ushered Cass away from the cafe. Their footsteps echoed on the creaky wooden stairs that lead to the apartment, Helen's soothing voice echoing off the walls. As soon as the two women were upstairs, Tadashi glared at Hiro.

"You'd better make it up to Aunt Cass before she eats everything int eh cafe!" he said, plopping himself down in a chair. Rubbing his temples, he sighed.

"What?" Hiro said with bewilderment, "like it's my fault things got rowdy?" Tadashi glanced up at him. It was definitely weird, seeing Tadashi without a baseball cap on. Worry lines were faith on his forehead, and Bob knew those might deepen if the two brothers kept up with their squabbles.

"Hiro, you got me arrested." Tadashi pointed out.

"Alright," Bob cut in before Hiro could say anything, before the situation could get worse, "why don't we all go upstairs? Have a nice snack and calm ourselves?" Hiro exchanged glances with Violet and Dash before shaking his head, clomping loudly upstairs.

"Nice try, Dad," Violet groaned.

"What?" Bob asked, "it works with you two?"

"You do realize that Hiro is not your child, right?" Dash chuckled, "he's not gonna follow the same rules-"

"Whatever!" Bob cut his son off, "just both of you go upstairs and get ready for bed!" The kids begrudgingly went upstairs to join Helen and Cass, leaving the two men to themselves in the cafe. As soon as Dash and Violet were gone, Bob pulled out a chair, sitting himself opposite of Tadashi at the cafe table. Two little salt and pepper shakers sat in the table next to a stack of menus, laminated green and orange. The shakers themselves were shaped like cats, to emulate the one on the awning of the cafe.

"What?" Tadashi shrugged ta Bob.

"Let's talk!" he said, "mano e mano-"

"I think I'm good, thanks," Tadashi said bluntly, "and I've noted your poor use of Spanish."

"Spanish?" Bob scratched his head, "last time I checked that was French…" Tadashi chuckled.

"That's just what Fred would say," he commented, a slight smile on his face. Bob felt a squall of trimph- at least he had gotten a reaction!

"Okay," he said, "and is Fred a friend of yours?" Tadashi nodded.

"Yeah- one of my buddies at SFIT," Tadashi explained, "why? You know him too?"

Bob shook his head, "No. I just thought we could get to know one another, you know? Considering Helena and Cass are so close and everything." Tadashi nodded. It was understandable, especially since the man's own son was probably a year younger than Hiro. Tadashi shrugged- he hadn't bothered asking. Much of his attention was on his little brother. _And my project…_ Tadashi realized.

Since the Parrs had come over that morning, he noticed he hadn't put any fishing touches on his project- Mr. Callaghan, his professor, had wanted them turned in by the grow the next morning. Tadashi quickly left the thought his teacher would certainly understand.

"Anyway," Bob cracked his knuckles, and it sounded eerie in the empty cafe, "since my family is staying, let's get to know each other, okay?" Tadashi shrugged.

"Uh, sure?" he guessed. A smile spread on the older man's face, and Tadashi noticed the fluorescent lights bouncing off the bald spot the Bob had.

"Okay then, what do you want to know about me?" Bob said, leaning forward.

"Um, isn't this supposed to be the other way around?" Tadashi asked.

"Listen, kid-" Bob began, For some reason it felt like dealing with his former boss, as it seemed the kid was extremely technical.

"Tadashi."

"Right, Tadashi," Bob nodded, "listen, I've just been wanting to relax, so humor me okay? What do you want to know?" Tadashi watched as Bob's face suddenly became tired, and he finally noticed small bags under his eyes.

"Uh, how long have you guys known Aunt Cass?" Tadashi said. _Might as well humor him_, he thought, _what's the harm? _

"Since you and Hiro were little," Bob said, "I mean, of course, it was when your parents were still alive, so you two were fairly young. I'm sorry for your loss, by the way, they were such nice people…."

The look on Tadashi's face told Bob that he had to move on.

"You know what? Why don't you tell me about you? Abut your friends?" Bob changed the subject abruptly, catching Tadashi by surprise.

"M-my friends?" Tadashi stammered.

"Yeah!" Bob encouraged, "why not? You already mentioned Fred, right?" Tadashi nodded, clasping his hands in front of him.

"Alright then…" Tadashi trailed off, twiddling his thumbs. Where to start? Like him, his friends were complete robotics nerds, so the topic was sure to bore his guest to some degree. _I did already mention Fred,_ Tadashi thought, _so I'll start there_.

"Well, Fred, he's very… enthusiastic, I guess," Tadashi began, nervously scratching the back of his neck.

"Okay- what about?" Bob prompted.

"Like, comic books and superheors- things like that," Tadashi elaborated, and he swore for a minute he could see a small look of either realization, fear, or surprise flash in Bob's face before it went fleetingly away. Bob coughed, nodding.

"Okay, anything else?" he asked.

"Since he's at SFIT, he's the school mascot," Tadashi said, "so I guess you could say he likes cosplay as well. Oh! And science. Very into science- in fact all of them are."

"I have no idea what cosplay is, but let's move on," Bob chuckled. If he were ever to meet this Fred guy, he knew he'd have to keep his powers a secret. "So you said you have other friends? Like who?"

Tadashi bit his lip as he silently counted on his fingers before answering, "There's Wasabi- he's a big guy, and he could probably punch you out in one second, but he's pretty frugal. Extremely compulsive as well- everything is neat and clean in his workspace-"

"Wait, you guys share a dorm room?" Bob cut him off. Tadashi shook his head.

"None of us dorm," Tadashi said, "too expensive. Anyway, he's pretty much a big puppy. Then there's Go Go-"

"Go Go?" Bob asked, the name foreign on his tongue.

"Yeah, she likes things to go fast" Tadashi said, "she's a little sprite, kind of tomboyish, and a little bit serious almost all of the time." Bob nodded- she sounded pretty tough. As Tadashi spoke of his friends, Bob noticed how his face lit up, describing everyone's personalities. They all seemed so different, yet they were able to coincide so easily.

"And then there's Honey Lemon," Tadashi said with finality. Bob raised an eyebrow- _That definitely has to be a codename_, Bob thought, _there's no way that's her actual name_. Sure, when in battle he went by mr. Incredible, but Honey lemon as a superhero name?!

"What about her?" he said, brushing the thought aside.

"She's exactly like her namesake- bright and bubbly. Overall a very sweet girl- and tall," Tadashi said, raising a hand above his head to demonstrate her height, "about six foot one when she wears heels, which is all the time."

Bob rubbed the back of his neck- sweat had began to form on his skin, creating a thin sheen under the fluorescent lights. They all sounded like nice kids, and he hoped he wouldn't have to show off his powers to that Fred kid.

"They definitely sound, uh, interesting…!" Bob tried, failing to come up with anything to say. Tadashi gestured to him with a flourish.

"Well, what about your friends, Mr. Parr?" Tadashi countered, "tell me about them."

Bob opened his mouth, faltering. There was no way he could tell Tadashi about his own friends- really just the two, since all his friends were or associated with supers. That was not something you just randomly blurted out while on vacation with your family.

"I just have one friend, really," Bob shrugged off the question as best as he could, "name's Lucius. A little bald and a little angry, but he's really a great guy, Likes things to go smoothly for the most part." Tadashi nodded.

"That sounds nice," he agreed, drumming his fingers awkwardly on the table.

The conversation, both men realized, had come to a stalemate. The sound of footsteps on the stairs broke both men out of their trances, turning their heads to find Helen quietly making her way into the cafe.

"Hey guys," she said, then to Bob, "Vi and Dash are asleep- so is Cass, for that matter. How's it going down here?" Tadashi nodded in her direction.

"It's going pretty well, Mrs. Parr," Tadashi smiled politely, "your husband is a very nice man."

"I know, that's why I married him," Helen joked, pulling up a chair of her own, "so I just wanna know, what time is Hiro's showcase?" Tadashi blinked before her question sank in.

"Oh, right! It's around seven at night," Tadashi said, "Aunt Cass is driving, so no worries on transportation." Helen nodded.

"Well, may I suggest that we go off to bed then? Cass said we have a big day ahead of us," Helen chided lovingly. Chairs scraped the floor as the three got up, Tadashi being sure to flick the lights off before clambering upstairs.


	6. Chapter 6

Violet awoke that morning to a rather large fur ball in her face, sticky paws playing with her long black hair. Groaning, she blinked to see the Hamada's cat, Mochi, meowing at her, round eyes watching her expectantly. Pushing herself up off the plush red couch, she stretched her arms, yawning softly. Mochi meowed, wiggling his bottom before hopping with a loud thud to the floor.

"Ugh…" Violet rubbed hr eyes as she stood up, looking over at her family. She and her mother had been given he couch, Tadashi being nice enough to bring don blankets for her brother and father- even going so far as to offer her parents his own bed, despite the fact that he shared a room with Hiro. But her parents had refused, instead deciding that the entire family was alright sleeping in the living room. Violet followed Mochi to the kitchen, where the smell of freshly baked bread and sizzling bacon teased her nose.

"Good morning!" Cass Hamada sang as Vioelt walked in. Her exuberance made Violet jump, widen her eyes as Cass left a pan on the stove to steer her into a seat, "Have a seat! Make yourself comfortable!"

"Thanks…." Violet said as she hesitantly sat down, the wooden chair hard and stiff against her back compared the the couch she and just been sleeping on. She could hear muffled footsteps from upstairs. She guessed it was Tadashi, with him being the older of the brothers. He was bound to have work or something of the sort.

"So, how'd you sleep? Well I hope?" Cass asked as she tipped the pan over a red china plate. Bacon slid easily onto the plate with the help of grease, and the smell was almost overpowering, "Wow- if you don't eat this, I may just snatch it up!" Violet laughed awkwardly as Cass placed the plate in front of her, "Eat up! Pancakes will be done soon!" Violet stared down at the bacon sitting in front of her. The meat was burnt into a perfect crisp, oil dripping off the curly edges.

"Thanks," she said dryly, gingerly picking up a piece and putting it between her teeth. She was never a fan of bacon, but she hd to humor Cass. It was only polite, after all. As she ate, Dash wandered into the room, blond hair a disarray on his head. He rubbed at his eyes blearily.

"Hey Vi," he said groggily, Cass pulling out a chair for him, a few seconds later providing him with a plate identical to her own.

"Wow, you two sure get up early!" she commented, "Hiro and Tadashi were always slow risers." As if on cue, Hiro bounded into the kitchen, shooing Mochi away whilst he tried putting on his sneakers.

"Hey Aunt Cass!" he said, nearly crashing into a chair next to Dash, making him jump, "Sorry Dash-!"

"Hiro, why are you in such a hurry?" Cass asked her nephew. Violet watched as he scarfed down an entire plate of bacon, wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his blue hooded sweatshirt. His black hair was a puffy ball on his scalp, unkempt and in desperate need of a good brushing.

"Because, Aunt case," came Tadashi's voice, "I'm bringing him to see my college."

Cass dropped her spatula, the kitchen utensil clattering loudly on the floor as she screeched, throwing herself on her nephew. Tadashi grinned smugly at Violet and Dash, who watched, confused. As Cass celebrated, there was a loud thud, followed by a cry of surprise- _Dad_, Violet thought, and her parents rushed into the kitchen, pajamas slouchy and hair messy.

"Is everything okay?!" Bob rushed out, Helen trying to tame her messy bobbed hair.

"Hiro is looking at college today!" Cass yelled happily, bending down to pick up the spatula. Narrowing her eyes at it, she blew at the metal, rubbing the tool on her apron before using it to finish flipping pancakes.

"Are you sure that's safe, Aunt Cass?" Tadashi asked, pulling open a drawer, "here's a new one." He switched them out for her, nodding to Helen and Bob, "Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Parr."

"Please, Tadashi, we told you-" Heen began.

"'Kay, Tadashi and I are out!" Hiro cut them off, grabbing his brother's hand, pulling him toward the stairs, "See ya later, Aunt Cass!" Tadashi managed to give a small wave before Hiro dragged him away. A minute later, there was a loud thud, followed by a few heavy thumps.

"OW! HIRO!"

"Sorry Tadashi!"

Cass laughed, untying her apron and tossing it on her chair. "Those two are always so rambunctious, huh? Say, why don't you let Tadashi take you guys on a tour of his school? It could help Vi and Dash with their applications!" Violet and Dash exchanged glances, Helen nodding eagerly.

"That would be great, wouldn't it Vi?" Helen signaled her daughter. Violet blinked, then shrugged.

"I guess, sure," she said. Dash groaned.

"What goo dis that if they just left?" he asked, voice hinted with sarcasm. Bb gave him a pointed glare before he mumbled, "Sorry."

"I can take you!" Cass cried, "yeah- I can drive you guys there! Of course, Ic an't stay, since I have work here to do-"

"Well, if Vi and Dash aren't really up to visiting the school, Bib and I can look at it while they help you here," Helen volunteered her children, Violet sighing with relief. She didn't really want to waste her time walking around with a bunch of strange nerds she didn't even know. Dash probably felt the same, given the way he sank down in his chair, happily munching on bacon and pancakes.

"Really? You don't mind?" Cass asked.

"Not at all!" Dash piped up, "when do we start?" Cass clapped her hands excitedly- Hiro was never this exuberant about helping around the cafe (or the house, for that matter.)

"Finish breakfast first, okay?" she said, "I'll show you guys the ropes!" She went to collect dishes before snapping her head in Helen and Bob's direction, "Helen, before you go, I'll give you the directions!" Helen nodded- of course, she didn't really know her way around San Fransokyo, so it'd be nice to have them. Dash waited impatiently for Cass to write down the directions, Violet giving them a slight wave of her hand, which probably stood for a goodbye.

Directions in hand, Helen and Bob waved goodbye, and once in the parking lot, hopped in their car and drove down the block, Bob scanning Cass's messy writing as Helen manned the steering wheel.

"You know," Bob said over the engine's purr, "it probably would have been a good idea to at least bring Violet along."

"Bob, you realize we had to take a ferry here, right? How would she get back and forth?" Helen pointed out. Bob shrugged, leaning back as much as he could in the chair. Japanese influenced structures and buildings decorated the streets, alongside more modernized American designs. Overall it was a very diverse place. One he thought he could get used to. Pointing out the window, he instructed his wife to make a sharp left. Into view came a building that was shaped like a tidal wave, translucent blue windows shaping the underside of a shiny silver roof.

"Huh," Helen said as she pulled into the parking lot, claiming one of the spots by the exit, "that's definitely an interesting design." Bob could only nod in agreement. Everything about the building was so… aerodynamic, if that was the correct term. Just the way the windows were modeled and shaped made one sleek movement, quite pleasing to the eyes. Students were lazily strolling around campus, either pouring through books or snapping pictures with each other. Bob could see two girls sitting in a cafe- like area, arguing over something with two boys. One of the girls was tall where the other was short, and she had long blond hair. The other had short black hair with purple streaks. The boys as well looked to be polar opposites. A burly African American with kinky hair and a green sweater looked to be groaning at something the other one- a pale kid with a lanky build and light brown hair- was showing him in what looked like a comic book.

"Shall we go in?" Helen suggested, and Bob followed her out of the car, nimbly stepping out of the way of a student as they breezed past on their bicycle, casting a long shadow across the cement.


	7. Chapter 7

"Oh, Mr. and Mrs. Parr!"

Helen and Bob turned to see Tadashi waving to them, walking over as he was flanked by a rather interesting looking group-

"Aren't those the kids we saw outside?" Bob asked Helen, who jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow. They were sanding in front of them now, his friends smiling eagerly. Nodding, Tadashi cleared his throat.

"Hiro should be in the lab already," Tadashi said, "why don't you join us?" Bob and Helen looked between Tadashi and his friends. The tall blond girl looked extremely exuberant, whilst her friend- the short Asian girl with purple steaks- was looking rather bored, popping bubblegum in-between her teeth. For some reason, she reminded Bob of Clint Eastwood, with a somewhat cold demeanor.

"So you're Mr. and Mrs. Parr?" piped up the Africa American man who was standing besides the tall lanky boy in the group, "Tadashi told us you might drop by!" Holding out a hand, he began to say, "I'm-"

"That's Wasabi," the lanky kid cut him off, making his friend- Wasabi- groan in agony.

"I spilled wasabi on my shirt one time! One time people!" Wasabi growled, shaking his head as he turned and walked off, hands thrust angrily in his pockets. Helen and Bob nodded until Wasabi turned a corner, leaving the group to stand awkwardly in the hall.

"Anyway…" Helen said after a few seconds of silence, "we'd love to join you! And please, I've told you to call me…."

"Mrs. Parr, you're hair is such a pretty color!" the blond suddenly squealed, "definitely something I'd try to infuse with my project!" Helen raised an eyebrow at her, glancing quickly at Tadashi.

"Thank you….?" Helen tried to answer, but wasn't exactly sure how to respond. Lips pulled into a sunny smile, she waved quickly, bending down to fix the strap of her wedge shoes- which looked to Helen like they were six feet too tall.

"Oh! That reminds me- I should mix the chemicals beforehand!" she rambled, 'you know how formaldehyde gets when left too long, you know!" Bob widened his eyes at her as she skipped down the hall, her long blond hair flying behind her as she went.

"Is she a mortician or something?" Bob asked in amazement, receiving another jab from his wife.

"Nah, she's a chemistry major," the lanky kid spoke up once more, a relaxed grin on his face. A teal beanie was pulled over shaggy ash brown hair, and he wore a red t-shirt with a cartoon character emblazoned on the front over a white thermal. Blue jeans sagged around his skinny legs. and on his feet were a pair of green and orange sneakers.

"Oh!" Helen nodded, "that's nice!"

"Yeah she once blew up her family's tool shed," the kid said with a shrug, "but her experiments are always like that, i guess." Tadashi smirked, rolling his eyes at his friend.

"Okay, we don't really know that she actually blew up her family's toolshed, Fred-"

"But the scorch marks were in her yard when we hung out last summer, man!" Fred exclaimed. Tadashi laughed, clapping Fred on the shoulder as he went on, "That must mean she has some super-secret lab in her house, right?!"

"Okay, Fred," Tadashi said, "whatever you say." Fred began to mumble to himself, pulling out a comic book as he proceeded to follow the girl- immediately hitting a wall in the process.

"I'm okay!" he yelled as he turned the corner, spinning like a drunkard exiting a club.

"Fred's the school mascot," Tadashi explained.

"And what am I? Chopped liver?" the short girl yelled, crossing her arms as she blew a bubble in her pink gum. Tadashi shook his head.

"Mr. and Mrs. Parr, this is my friend Go Go Tomago," Tadashi introduced her. Bob scrunched his nose at the girl standing in front of him: short stature, wearing athletic type clothes. Her short black hair was frayed, and a few pieces were dyed purple in the front. The name as well sounded somewhat familiar….

"Pleasure," Go Go's borderline deadpan bought Bob back to reality as he scrutinized her. "Alright, well, I'm gonna head back to the nerd-lab. Who knows what Honey might have blown up by now?" Tadashi waved her off, Helen and Bob exchanging nervous glances- how was this a good place for a fourteen year old to be in, considering Hiro's age and intellect? Or Violet's, for that matter?!

"Those were my friends I told you about last night, Mr. Parr," Tadashi said, ushering them to follow him, "but if you would still care to join us, I'll be glad to give you a tour of the place, as well as a look at our projects if you like?" Before Helen could say anything, Bob was right behind him.

"So, remind me who's who again?" Bob asked the student.

"Well, you've met Go Go," Tadashi said, gently steering Helen by the shoulders through the hall. Bob chuckled at his wife's flabbergasted look, if that was what it could be called. They went through a series of glass-paned double doors as tadashi continued, "And the blond girl?"

"The one who blew up her family's toolshed?" Helen suggested. Tadashi nodded.

"Right, her," he said, "Her name is Honey Lemon." There was a quick pause before he added quickly, "And we don't know for sure that she actually blew up the toolshed. But I probably wouldn't question her about it because there is the slight chance she might try to burn your alive if you offend her." A tiny squeal escaped Helen's throat.

"Oh good," she said meekly, "you're friends with a pyromaniac."

"And the muscular guy was….?" Tadashi hinted, turning his attention to Bob. It took a minute to process the question, Bob snapping his fingers, mumbling to himself.

"Wyatt? No, that's not it…." Bob mumbled. Helen pursed her lips, rolling her eyes at him.

"Wasabi," she said for him.

"Wasabi!" he echoed excitedly, snapping at Tadashi, then with the crease of his brow, "Wait then who was the kid in the hat?"

"That was Fred," Tadashi laughed, placing his hands on his hips as they came to a stop in front of a row of silver walls, framed with the bland gray painted on the walls. Tadashi gave small waves or nods to people passing by, whether they be students or teachers- heck, even a janitor sent him a smile, Tadashi replying with the tip of his black baseball cap.

"Yo, nerd!" came a muffled yell, making the three of them jump. Bob and Helen suppressed gasps of surprise when the silver slab disappeared to reveal a window pane, showing off people inside with technical equipment. Tadashi's short friend- _Go Go Tomago_, Helen remembered- was snapping her gum as she held a hand on the window, evidently keeping the silver piece out of her way while she stared at them.

"What is it, Go Go?" Tadashi asked.

"Your little bro is wreaking havoc and Wasabi's about to have a meltdown."

And that was all she said before releasing the silver mechanism, leaving a metal sheet between them and the lab once more. A few seconds later, they heard muffled shouts of distress, followed by rushed yet sincere apologies.

"Crap…" Tadashi muttered, rubbing his temples, blood pounding through his veins.

Leave it to Hiro to mess things up.

"Is everything okay?" Helen asked, she and Bob following Tadashi inside the lab. Bob was still focused on the silver paneling, mesmerized by the mere technology that could have gone into it.

"Hiro!" Tadashi called, cupping his mouth with a hand, Helen and Bob taking in the lab.

Although ti was messy, it seemed to be somewhat organized. Robotics projects were being held in one area, while (thankfully, it seemed) chemistry experiments were being held on the far side of the room. A glass set of test tubes and colorful liquids sat on a table pushed up against the wall. Next to that was a small kitchen like area, with a sink and a small area taped off with yellow cautionary tape.

"Wonder what that's for," Bb said, Helen trying her best to take everything in.

"Hiro!" Tadashi called again, then turning to Go Go, "You said he was n here, where is he?" The girl shrugged, popping her gum. She was working near the chemistry area of the room, a yellow bike hanging from pulleys lodged in the ceiling. Shrugging, she lazily turned a purple and yellow wheel, raising an eyebrow.

"I said he was with Wasabi." was her answer before she pulled the wheel clean off the bike…

…and it came away perfectly. No bolts, no chains broken- nothing happened. Everything was in one piece.

"Whoa," Bob said in amazement, "Hon, did you see that?!" Helen nodded, but couldn't really believe it- what kind of technology did it use, if it required no bolts or chains or screws? Tadash was still calling for Hiro, jumping when Hiro decided to make an appearance, throwing his arms around his brother.

"He's gonna kill me!" he cried, jumping up off the floor until he was attached to his brother like a sloth on a tree, "Tadashi! Help me!" Sending a sheepish glance at Helen and Bob, Tadashi tried to carefully unhook his brother's fingers from his sweater, but to no avail. The teenager only clutched to him tighter, hoisting himself up until he was sitting on Tadashi's shoulders, skinny legs dangling awkwardly around Tadashi's neck.

"Where did he go?!" came a furious cry of rage, and Hiro squealed, pulling on Tadashi's arms.

"Wh-whoa!" Tadashi yelled, narrowly avoiding crashing to the floor as he reeled backwards and sideways, unable to maintain balance as Hiro steed him around like a race car.

A few seconds later, Wasabi came into the lab, safety goggles covering his face. A pair of rubber gloves were on his hands, and his fce ws beet red.

"Tadashi!" he barked, "my work station!" the man suddenly melted into a puddle, his angry sentience gone in a flash. Now he looked like a weeping child, running his hands through his kinky brown hair.

"Hold on a sec-OW!" Tadashi yelped suddenly as Hiro let go, and the momentum sent both brothers flying to the floor. Soft chuckles could be heard from other classmates, and Helen saw Go Go shake her head in disapproval out of the corner of her eye.

"I said I was sorry!" Hir pleaded. Wasabi, although big, looked like he was about to cry, lower lip jutting out in a pout.

"Wasabi…ow," Tadashi rubbed his back as he got up into a sitting position, "you know Go Go goes through your work station almost every day."

"Yes, but-"

"I said I was sorry!" Hiro claimed, giving his brother what Helen thought was the most innocent look she ever saw on anyone's face. There was no way Tadashi- or anyone, for that matter- could have resisted Hiro's big brown eyes.

"Whatever happened, fix it, okay?" Tadashi sighed, "we all have work to do. Make it quick." Sending a smile to his brother, he added under his breath, "Bonehead." As the two were busy making amends, Helen clapped her hands, "So, this looks interesting! What are you guys working on?!" Bob looked over to Hiro and wasabi- he was showing the teenager his project, having completely forgotten about the workstation incident from a few seconds before.

"Tadashi!" Wasabi called, "why don't you have Mr. and Mrs. Parr come over here?" Tadashi gave him a thumbs-up, pushing them towards Wasabi's work station.

"I'll be back in a jiffy, 'kay?" he said, waving to Go Go as he exited the lab.

"Wow!" Bob said, approaching wasabi's project, "this looks interesting!" To Helen, however, it looked boring. Two bars looking like security systems stood apart from one another by a few feet, suspended by two thin platforms she thought resembled a Connect Four game piece.

"Ah, ah, ah!" Wasabi teased, "behind the line, please!" They obliged, watching as Wasabi picked up an apple. tossing it in his hand.

"So, what's this do?" Bob asked.

"Hiro!" Wasabi said, catching Hiro's attention.

"Uh, yeah?" he said, running a hand through his black hair.

"Catch!" Wasabi warned, tossing it over. Helen and Bob watched as Hiro raised his hand to catch it….

…Only to see it break into thin strips, nearly translucent and more than paper-thin, by the looks of it. Hiro plucked one out of thin air, holding it close to his face as he examined it.

"Whoa…." he said, turning it over in his hand. Lifting his head, he asked, "Plasma-induced lasers? But where are the actual lasers?" Wasabi grinned smugly at Helen and Bob's look sod surprise.

"Yup," he agreed, "but be careful- it can slice through bone!"

"Whoa!" Bob exclaimed, the look on his face pure glee, "Helen, imagine that in the hands of, I dunno, maybe Bomb Voyage or someone even worse like-"

"Bob!" Helen hissed, smiling at Hiro and Wasabi's confused looks. tugging on Bob's collar, she lend close, whispering. "You need to be careful about what you say around them, remember?" Bob sighed, agreeing with her silently as he cleared his throat, "Sorry. Do continue."

"Well, the only way you can see the lasers is if I flip this switch here," Wasabi explained, leaning per and pressing a hidden button on the metal. A buzzing sounded as six green stripes appeared, crackling like lightning as they coursed through the bars and back out again.

That, Helen thought, would definitely be dangerous in the hands of a super villain.

"Okay, so what's she working on?" Hiro asked, pointing to Go Go's bike as she fitted it with wheels. Wasabi gestured to her.

"Go Go? Ask her." he said, returning to his work. Before they could take one step, however, Hiro ducked tot h floor, shielding his head with his hands as something flew by, nearly making a mess of wasabi's work station.

"Watch it, kid!" Go Go yelled at Hiro as he got up and lead Helen and Bob over, "These are really expensive materials and if it hits one of you, that's a liability!"

"Oh, and my work station isn't?!" Wasabi said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Your tools aren't sentient beings," Go Go shot back, pointing over to a blue recycling bin, "See that bucket? It's where all my failures go. If you're not carefully, your head is gonna go with one of them. And i am not cleaning that up." Bob gulped, tugging the collar of his shirt.

"Nice to met you too," Helen mumbled. Hiro leaned closer to the yellow and purple bike, then back at the bucket. it was overflowing with wheels, some of them not even in the bucket, instead lying off to the side or leaning against it.

"Gravitational suspension? On a bike?" Hiro asked as Go Go pulled off yet another wheel.

"Zero resistance, faster bike," she said, grunting as she tossed it like a frisbee. It landed in the bucket like a horseshoe on a ring. "But not fast enough."

"You enter races or something?" Bob asked, at which Go Go gave him an exasperated look.

"Does it look like I have time for bike races?" she asked haughtily. Averting her eyes, Helen looked around the lab. She could see people fiddling with robots, others pouring over what looked like blueprints. One of them was sitting in a chair by the door, reading a comic book whilst wearing some sort of large green lizard costume.

"Excu-u-u-u-u-se me!"

Honey lemon- Tadashi's tall blond friend- snaked past the trio towards the chemistry equipment, teetering dangerously in her wedge shoes as she rolled a large black ball over to the sink area. The three of them followed, Tadashi clapping Bob on the shoulder to signify his return.

"How's it going so far?" he asked.

"Great!" he said, giving Tadashi a thumbs up. The already wide smile on honey's face grew wider once she saw the older of the Hamada brothers.

"Tadashi!" she exclaimed, leaning backwards so she was pressed flat against the ball, using her feet to balance herself out against the counter of the sink, "You're here!" Tadashi took a spot next to Hiro.

"Whoa…" Hiro marveled at the late black mass as Honey nudged a button on the floor with her toe, rolling it safely into place. "That's a lot of text on carbide!" Helen noticed white earbuds dangling from Honey's ears,s o it was no surprise when she was suddenly yelling at the top of her lungs. They could hear some sort of poppy upbeat song blasting from the speakers.

"I know, right! Four hundred TONS!" she yelled, adding, "You must be Hiro! I'VE HEARD SO MUCH ABOUT YOU!" Bob winced, catching Tadashi smile softly as Honey lead his brother closer to the shiny black mass. _Is he fond of her?_ he thought, shoving his hands idly in his pokers. With the way he was looking at her, it was a possibility, but he pushed the thought away as Honey dragged the group over to the chemistry set sitting on a table off to their left.

"You guys are gonna love this!" she said, picking up a chemical dropper, using her free hand to flick open a switch. "A dash of perchloric acid…" Helen crossed her arms, watching as Honey dipped the dropper into a deep blue substance, squeezing it carefully over a beaker. Tubes and wires were pushing the liquid through loops and turns towards a small bottle sitting at the end of the table.

"A smidgen of cobalt…" she said, tossing the dropper down to pick up a third beaker filled with a somewhat opaque liquid, "…A hint of hydrogen peroxide…"

"Isn't hydrogen peroxide dangerous?" Bob asked Helen out of the side of his mouth as they watched Honey work. Helen shrugged. They had reached the end of the table now, and Honey looked ready to finish.

Until she suddenly whipped out the largest cigarette lighter infused with a bunsen burner Helen thought she'd ever see- and she didn't even smoke!

"Whoa!" Hiro cowered away as Honey's lips pulled into a malicious grin, flipping the instrument on. Blue and orange flame burst from the spout, an her hair flew like a cape behind her as she thrust it at the bottle.

"SUPER HEATED TO FIVE HUNDRED KELVIN!" she said, almost laughing as she narrowed her eyes at the experiment, "And…. TADAAAA!"

With a grand flourish, she capped the small bottle, Helen sighing in relief when she ditched the blowtorch. She shoved it at Helen and Bob, "What do you think? Pretty great huh?" Bob raised an eyebrow at her.

"Perfume?" he guessed. Honey shook her head, her blond hair a curtain shaking in her face.

"Come see! Come see!" she said, beckoning them to follower her to the large black ball once more as she shoved the small bottle full of pink liquid onto a spray bottle, pointing it at the shny mass. Clouds of pink dust were airborne as she pressed the nozzle, and once the clouds died down the black ball was now pink, bright and round as Go Go's bubblegum.

"It's so…. pink," Helen pointed out, for lack of anything better to say. What was she supposed to say? Fred had basically said that the girl could burn down your house if you insulted her!

"But that isn't sen the bed part!" she squealed, jumping on her toes, scooting closer to the mass. Raising a thin index finger, she poised her nail just above the surface of the ball, biting her lip, "Ready?!"

"By all means!" Bob encouraged her, and she gently poked the ball.

Coughing ensued as it exploded in masses of pink dust, getting in everyone's eyes and noses, tickling their throats. A blast of air nearly knocked Helen backwards, her husband catching her before she fell.

"Thanks hon," she said, standing upright. The dust having died down, Helen noticed all of them were covered in pink. She brushed it off herself as best she could, picking pieces of it out of her hair, rubbing it away tom her eyes. Bob wasn't that successful in getting it off himself either. Hiro had pink spots dotting his clothes, but it wasn't anything he couldn't clean up. Honey Lemon herself was covered head to toe, flicking the stuff off her finger tips. Her glasses were completely obscuring her eyes from view.

Tadashi, however, seemed to know exactly where to stand. He was completely clean, fidgeting with the lip of his baseball cap, a smug grin on his face.

"Whoa…." Hiro said, mesmerized at the experiment. Honey lemon's grin spread wider.

"I know, right?!" she cried, whipping off her glasses to clean them, revealing exuberant green eyes, "Chemical-metal embrittlement!"

Helen crossed her arms, watching as Honey left to join the kid sitting in the lizard costume, trying her best to clean herself up. helen saw he ahd now taken off the head of the costume, and Fred was sitting, watching them perform their experiments. A child-like look was in his eye, and he nodded happily at something Honey asked him, punching the air with his fist as he exited the lab with her.

"Fred asked her to make him a fire-breathing lizard," Tadashi explained, nudging bb with his shoulder.

"But that isn't possible…" he said, trailing off, "is it?" Tadashi chuckled, shaking his head.

"No, it's not," he agreed, "it isn't even science. But we thought we'd humor him."

"Does Fred go here too?" Helen asked.

"Like I said earlier, he's the school mascot," Tadashi said, "but he doesn't go here, no."

Helen nodded. They all seemed like a swell bunch of kids. Of course, aside from the eccentricities, it would probably be a great place for Violet to go once she graduated high school. Of course, there was the issue of transportation, but she'd figure it out later.

"We should probably get going, right, Hiro?" Tadashi ruffled his brother's hair, 'you don't want to miss your presentation!" Hiro's face suddenly lit up, and he raced for the door, eager to get his presentation ready before the show, no doubt. Go Go sent Tadashi a salute.

"We'll help him set up," she said, slipping on a pair of roller skates and wheeling after him. Tadashi nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Shouldn't you go help them too?" Bob asked. The lab was quiet now, everyone except the three of them having left to go home or set up projects for the showcase.

"I actually have work to finish up," Tadashi said, "but I'll be at the showcase, don't worry." Smiling, he nodded politely at Helen, "Have a nice night, Mrs. Parr, Mr. Parr. I'll be sure to find you later at the showcase."

"Wait!" Bob blurted, making Helen jump, "aren't you working on anything too?" Tadashi glanced between the couple, Helen giving him an apologetic smile.

"Y-yes, but…" tadashi stammered.

"I'd love to see it!" Bob said, "please?"

"Bob!" Helen dug her elbow into his arm, "Don't impose!"

"What? I'm just asking!" he whined.

"Alright, alright!" Tadashi said, raising a hand to calm the man down, "but it isn't finished yet."

"So we'll wait until you're done!" Helen chirped.

"Actually, I was going to finish it up now, so if you want to see it now you can," Tadashi said, stealing a quick glance at the clock. It was now six thirty. They had exactly a half-hour before Hiro's showcase. Bob was looking around the room, his excitement growing more obvious as each second passed.

"Follow me," he said, "it's in my office."

He made sure to flick the lights off before closing the door, leaving the robots and various projects to sit in the dark as the trio made their way down the hall.


	8. Chapter 8

Tadashi's office was small, cut off from the rest of the lab. Bob felt his shoulder graze the doorframe as he squeezed himself into the tiny room, although if you were to go further back it was quite spacious. Of course, with his large physique (due to his powers) Bob couldn't help but wince at the dent he left in the molding of the frame.

It was quite obvious, to say the least. Thankfully, however, Tadashi didn't notice.

"Welcome to my secret lair!" Tadashi joked, Bob raising an eyebrow as he then attempted an evil laugh, complete with finger wiggling and throwing his head back. His baseball cap fell off his head, landing with a sift thunking on the ground. Tadashi's black hair was messy, strands sticking out in random directions. It wasn't until a few minutes in that Tadashi noticed the looks the couple was giving him.

"Jokes not working for you?" he asked, pushing their confused glances aside with a shrug. Grunting, he bent over to pick up his hat, smashing it on his head. "Anyway, since you wanted to see my project, follow me."

He lead them to the back of the room, a desk sitting adjacent to the far wall. Blueprints and papers were tacked up on the wall, strewn around his workspace haphazardly. Gently, Bob took one in his hands, careful not to rip the thin sheet.

"Bob, don't rip it," Helen said as if reading his mind. Bob rolled his eyes.

"I now, Helen!" he retorted, averting his eyes to scan the page. Designs for some sort of machine were drawn on it, dashed lines marking heat, little numbers and notes scrawled messily to mark measurements and the like. White chalk came off on his fingers, outlining his fingerprints.

"So, Tadashi," Helen cleared her throat as she stole a quick peek at the design over her husband's shoulder, "is this your own office?" Tadashi nodded, clicking his tongue as he began opening drawers in his desk, rummaging through pencils and office supplies. Helen looked to the opposite side of the room: the was bare, save for the San Fransokyo Institute of Technolofy flags and banner. Changing her point of view, she decided to look at the contents on his desk. Tadashi was busy fiddling with a roll of tape, trying to keep it in place on the black base it came in.

"Yup," he replied, sighing once he got the tape secure. Placing it back in the desk, he began taking things out: a screwdriver, thin sheets of what looked like metal scraps, rolls of papers, and something that looked like the price checker you'd see in the grocery store. "Professor Callaghan suggested I get my own office, seeing as my project was probably going to take up a lot of space inside the shared lab."

"Really? Honey Lemon's…..project," Helen hesitated, "seemed to take up the most space. Hers and Go Go Tomago's, I think." Tadashi grinned, shaking his head. Bob was still flicking chalk off his fingers, wiping his hands on his pants and shirt. Flecks of white could now bee seen on is boac trousers, and Helen rolled her eyes- she hated washing his clothes because there was always some mysterious stain she couldn't get out.

"Well, their rejects are a bit…. messy, just to be polite about it," Tadashi groaned, "but mine is a bit, well, you'll see." The he went quiet again, disappearing into whatever it was he found so interesting in a desk drawer. A few seconds later, he muttered a soft "Ah, there it is!" and withdrew his hand, fingers clutched tightly around a ring of silver duct tape.

"Duct tape?" Bob said, "sorry, but I think they already invented that!" Bob laughed, his chuck turning into a cough when Helen glared at him. "Sorry."

"Very funny, Mr. Parr," Tadashi smirked, ripping off a length of the silver tape, "and thanks for volunteering." He used his teeth to rip the length of tape clean off the roll. "Hold out your arm please."

Hesitantly, Bob rolled up his sleeve, revealing his pasty white skin- he needed to get out in the sun more, he knew, but being a superhero, he never really had the time. He held it out to Tadashi, who expertly placed the tape on his forearm, leaving a corner peeling up.

"Tadashi, what does this have to do with your project, if you don't mind me asking?" Helen watched as Tadashi took hop dog the tape, "I mean, you're a smart boy-" Tadashi gave both of them a knowing glance, smiling as he tightened his grip on the tape.

Bob let out a yell of surprise as he pulled, leaving a red abrasion on his skin. Wincing, Bob let out a deep breath, his face turning beet red with each second that passed. Before he could say anything, Tadashi raised a hand, waggling a finger at him.

That's when he heard it.

At first, there was a repetitive beeping sound, almost like bells, and then it came.

Something inflating. Quite loud, as Helen screwed up her nose, hitching her shoulders up until they touched her earlobes.

Next came the squishy sounding footsteps. Then the words.

"I activated when I heard sounds of distress," said the project, it's voice (although robotic) sounding quite smooth and pleasant. Bob held his arm, looking between it and Tadashi. Tadashi nodded, smiling as his project went on:

"I am Baymax. Your personal healthcare companion. I heard your sound of distress and have scanned you to assess the source of your problem."

"What!?" Bob exclaimed, feeling heat rise to his face. Helen laughed as Tadashi raised a finger, mouthing the words alongside his proect.

Standing in front of him was a rather tall puffy, balloon like being, and he was pretty sure it would pop if he stuck a pin anywhere on its surface.

"You have a slight abrasion on your skin from irritation located on your forearm," Baymax said, ignoring his bewilderment.

"Just wait, there's more!" Tadashi said excitedly, whispering as low as he could. There was a ding, and Bayax then showcased a series of emotions, all of them faces that ranged from smiling to angry. The colors went from yellow to red.

"On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate your pain?" the healthcare companion asked. Bob looked at it, then at Tadashi.

This was so weird, words didn't even begin to describe it.

"Your blood pressure has risen significantly," Baymax pointed out, bringing him back to attention.

"I'm fine," Bb assured Baymax, "uh I guess one." The faces disappeared and Baymax extended a puffy arm out, raising a marshmallow like finger at his reddened skin.

"Tadashi, what's it doing?" Helen asked warily, crossing her arms as she watched a stream of liquid spurt from the tip of Baymax's finger.

"I recommend putting some antibacterial lotion on the area of irritation to keep it from swelling," the robot said. Bob sighed as he felt the lotion hit his skin, cold and tingly. But he and to admit, his arm already felt better.

"You have been a good boy," Baymax cheered, and thrust a lollipop in Bob's face, "Have a lollipop!" Bob grinned, taking the candy from the robot. It stood there for a few minutes, watching as Bob unwrapped it and stuck it in his mouth, "What?"

"I cannot deactivate until you say yu are satisfied with your care," Baymax explained.

"What does that mean?" Helen asked Tadashi.

"Basically, Baymax is a nursebot," Tadashi said, "I programmed him to have history of over thousands of medical data and diseases. He's programmed to help people get better, basically." Helen nodded, eyeing the squishy exterior. For a robot, it was very huggable.

"So, Mr. Parr," Tadashi turned to Bob, "are you satisfy with your care?"

"Yeah," he agreed, "I think I am." They watched as Baymax waddled to the back of the lab, positioning himself right in front of the window. Almost immediately, he began deflating, the squeakiness echoing in the cavernous room. And then Baymax was gone, folded up inside what looked like a red luggage case.

"He's gonna help so many people," Tadashi said almost wistfully, "so many people…"

Helen could only agree as they left the lab, Bob reminding Tadashi that they should probably get to the showcase soon, seeing as it was almost seven on the dot. But neither super could get the robot out of their heads on the drive over to the convention center where the showcase was being held, despite the amount of anomalies that could have distracted them for hours once they got inside the building.


	9. Chapter 9

Violet walked with the group as they pushed blue buckets down the hall. Go Go was chewing on her gum, snapping bubbles as she walked next to Wasabi, who was trying his best to avoid crushed pieces of food on the floor. Violet's parents had taken Dash with them, walking around With Cass while she was left with Tadashi, Hiro, and the others. It wasn't that bad, being able to be with people other than her family, but she was worried Fred smelled a bit too much, hopefully she wouldn't pass out from the mell of his shirt alone.

"Don't worry, Hiro," tadashi said, ruffling his younger brother's hair, "You'll be fine!"

"Okay, but I just really want to get into this nerd school…" Hiro said, trailing off. Violet could tell he was trying to hide his nerves, fidgeting with the cuff of his baggy blue sweatshirt. Honey Lemon smiled, pushing one of the buckets carefully as she teetered behind it in her rather tall yellow heels. How she was able to walk in them, Violet was astonished.

"It's okay Hiro!" she said, "we believe in you!" Wasabi jumped as Go Go snapped her gum once more, a bored ooh on her face.

"I say stop whining and woman up," she deadpanned.

"Listen," Fred said, rummaging through a bag of chips, "I wore my special pair of underwear tonight." Violet scrunched her nose- that didn't sound any good, especially coming from Fred. So far, she learned that he was the soppiest, laziest person on the planet- and that was saying something, considering half the kids back at school were really gross themselves.

"That does NOT sound hygienic at all!" Wasabi pointed out, shoulders shaking, "It gives me the heebie-jeebies just thinking about it!" Fred rolled his eyes, pieces of salty chips sticking to his chin.

"They're my good luck pair, duh!" he retorted, "and besides, I haven't done laundry, in like, a month." Wasabi looked about to gag, Honey lemon throwing the fanboy a wary look.

"Freddie…." she trailed, picking at her lip with a painted pink nail.

"I wear 'em front, I wear 'em back," Fred explained, "then, i turn them inside out. And wear them front and back!" A look of content was on hi face as he said this, Wasabi's cheeks puffing as bile most likely found its way up his throat. Violet laughed, although she had to agree it sounded pretty gross.

"Ew," she commented, and Fred shrugged.

"That sounds so gross but so awesome," Tadashi slapped him a high five, Go Go rolling her eyes.

"Don't encourage him," she warned, "Hey Violet?"

"Oh, yeah?" Violet asked, surprised Go Go wanted her attention. When she and first met her, she seemed pretty distant.

"Is Dash like the hobo over here?"

"My brother?" Violet replied, "uh, no, not really." Violet racked her brain for possibilities. The longest Dash and ever gone without doing laundry was probably three days. Even though it was shorter than Fred, it was still pretty embarrassing to admit about her family.

"Eh, wait until he hits high school, Fred said, "He'll be living it up as much as possible." Violet laughed awkwardly, tucking her had behind her ear.

"Trust me, I hope not…" Violet muttered, her face turning red. Eyes darting between the friends, Violet caught Honey lemon giving her a quizzical stare. Footsteps echoing on the marble floor, the tall girl planted herself next to the super, shoulders hunched as she tried positioning herself to Violet's own height.

"Hey, are you okay?" she whispered, her voice calm and soothing. Violet widened her eyes, stealing a quick glance at everyone else. They were all huddled around Hiro, Go Go holding on to the blue recycling bins that contained Hiro's project. They all seemed pretty chummy, Tadashi teasing his younger brother. So she was a bit startled to still see Honey's green eyes on her, filled with worry.

"Violet?" Honey said, gently taking her aside, "is everything okay?"

Violet softly muttered a curse- did she really look worried? Shrugging, Violet replied, "I'm okay, why?" Honey smiled, running her fingers through her blond hair.

"You look thoughtful, is all," the chemist said, "is something the matter?" Violet smirked, biting the inside of her cheek. _Only my identity as a super, nothing big!_ her mind screamed, and it occurred to her that she hadn't actually thought about it until now. For a whole day or so, she wasn't focused on hiding her identity, her powers, who she was.

Of course, with Honey Lemon looking at her like she was this precious thing that needed to be protected at all costs, it felt nice that someone was at least trying to talk to her, to pay attention, So far (at least, for the duration of the trip), Violet had been trying to keep the focus on Hiro, not really contributing to any conversations. Clearing her throat, Violet repeated, "I'm okay, really."

"If you say so," Honey Lemon sighed, "but tell me if you need anything, okay?" Violet nodded, and Honey Lemon straightened herself out to her full height, Violet staring up at her like a child watching a balloon float away. The girl's yellow sweater was baggy on her thin frame, acceding her pale yellow dress and white tights. Pink heart shaped buttons were on the front of her sweater, and her phone dangled from a pink strap on her wrist.

"Oh, Hiro, it's almost time," Tadashi announced, checking his watch, and Honey lead her over to the group, waving her cell phone wildly in the air.

"Wait!" she said, "let's take a photo! To celebrate!" Violet was about to protest, but found nothing to say as she was squished next to Hiro, Honey Lemon curving above her. Wasabi was in the back of the group with Tadashi, Fred almost leaning on Go Go as she assumed a position on the other side of Hiro.

"Okay," Honey said, holding out the phone, "everyone say Hiro!"

Violet huddled with the group, giving off a tight-lipped smile before they dispersed, Hiro running off to get ready of this showcase. Her parents and Dash had gotten a spot standing up front, Tadashi and his friends joining them. The older Hamada brother had a proud look in his eye as Hiro took to the stage, clutching the microphone in his hand. He was wearing a weird headband, shoulders hunched up to his ears.

"Uh, h-hi-!" Hiro winced as feedback blew from the microphone, "I'm uh, Hiro H-Hamada…." Violet could tell the poor kid was terrified of public speaking. His body language screamed "Help!"

And then she noticed him make eye contact with Tadashi.

Tadashi was watching intently, brown eyes filled with pride. Nodding, he moved his hands in a circular motion, Hiro keeping in contact.

"Breathe…" Tadashi mouthed, deeply inhaling and exhaling. Violet returned her attention back to Hiro, who nodded at his brother before opening his mouth once more.

"My name is Hiro Hamada…." he announced, filled with a sudden burst of confidence as he dug into his pocket. Withdrawing his hand, he held up what looked like a small black stick, almost microscopic from where she stood in the audience. Looking over to her parents, Violet saw them watching with wonder, Cass clapping her hands excitedly.

"….And this," Hiro displayed it for his audience, holding it out as far as his arm would stretch, "is a microbot."


	10. Chapter 10

Mirage surveyed the crowd over her sunglasses, holding a clipboard close to her chest. Her white hair looked stark against the black dress suit she wore, her heels clicking on the floor as she walk through the crowd, eyeing each invention with spectacular interest.

But she knew none of them were going to interest her boss quite like the presentation that had just been wrapped up on the far side of the stage. a young boy- Japanese, by the looks of him- had just finished exhibiting his invention; 'microbots', as he had called them. From what she had seen, they were able to do _anything_.

And all you had to do was _think_.

Mirage pretended to look at her clipboard, watching as the boy was joined b his friends and family, as well as a few visitors. An older man approached, handing him a letter. Smiling to herself, she reached up and pressed a button on a bluetooth device in her ear, the tool cold against her skin.

"I've located a possible attraction, sir," she said matter-of-factly into the receiver. There was a bit of rambling on the other end until a scraggly voice made it's way through, vibrating in her ear.

"_I saw_," he said, and Mirage nodded; it seemed her boss was able to know everything. "W_hen can you get them to me?_" The woman walked a bit closer to the group, careful to make it look like she was coercing with colleagues. Of course, a few of them were confused as to why she was there, but she ignored them, keeping her eye on the group as they huddled around the boy with the microbots.

Flipping her white hair over her shoulder, Mirage threw bad her shoulders just as she saw the group diverse, leaving the man who had given the boy the envelope all by his lonesome.

Perfect.

Heels clicking on the tiled floor, Mirage reached up to turn on her bluetooth headset, make it look as if she were making some sort of important call, flipping through papers on her clipboard for emphasis; of course, all these papers had absolute nonsense written on them, a few of them blank, as they were just for show.

Mirage stopped in her tracks when another man had approached the professor, the two of them arguing- she thought she had heard the words "death" and "Abigail," but she couldn't be certain- for a few minutes before he stormed off, leaving the second man to inspect other inventions alone. _Well_, Mirage thought as she looked around, _I'll have to speed things up, it seems._

The noise in the exhibition room had seemed to quiet as Mirage focused on the professor's back, making sure to look busy as she followed him, darting in and out of the crowd like an eel. He breathing hitched in her throat as she went.

This had to go exactly as planned, no matter what.

Mirage had managed to get a few feet away from him, now breaking into a light jog. _Alright, Mirage_, she psyched herself up, _at the precise moment, you stall him, got it?_ But there was no need to give herself a pep talk. She and everything under control.

"_Ready?"_ her boss's voice was staticky through the bluetooth.

"Yeah," Mirage said, "I've got it all under wraps."

"_I'll have the car ready for you out back,_" said the boss, and there was a click as he went offline. Mirage sighed. She was now a foot away from the professor, save for a few visitors who just couldn't seem to get out of her way, eyeing gear with annoyance as she pretended to bump into one of them.

As she apologized (and quite loudly), she noticed to of the corner of her eye the professor stealing a glance back at her before turning around again, fists clenched.

Perfect, she thought, pretending one again to inspect and scribble on a set of non-existent notes.

She was now thirteen inches away from him, their shadows elongated under the fluorescent lights.

She and to do it soon.

Ten inches.

The professor had stopped to talk with someone.

Mirage beta t talk into her bluetooth headset, "Yes, sir. Now, when do you need those files by?" She stopped for a minute to scribble on her notepad. Glancing up, she met eyes with him, and sent him a polite smile.

If she looked to obvious, then the plan wouldn't work.

"Yes sir," she nodded, looking away from the professor, "I can have them in your office by three that afternoon." Mirage decided to steal another glance, this time darting her eyes around the room as the professor had looked at her curiously once more.

It looked like he was finishing up his conversation anyway. In fact, she heard his heavy footfalls, and she knew. "Well, Miss Turner isn't able to cancel her appointment unless we move it."

She took a few distracted steps, aware of the man's presence.

_Now. _

"I can have security call Miss Turner to-oh!"

Mirage spun just in time to collie with the man's chest, skillfully tossing herself to the floor like a rag doll. Her clipboard flew from her fingers, clattering a few feet away as she landed with a thud on the shiny waxed floor.

"I-I'm so sorry, Ma'am!" she heard the professor say, and Mirage smiled to herself before putting on an alarmed face, hoping it wasn't obvious. She let him help her up, his large, beefy hands almost wrapping completely around her forearm. She nodded gratefully as someone else picked up her clipboard, handing it to her.

"Are you alright?" the professor asked as Mirage brushed herself off, heaving her chest. She nodes, brushing her hair out of her face. Thankfully, her bluetooth was still in her ear, and she let her hands graze it slightly.

Now she had to apologize to her "manager."

"I'm sorry sir, I just uh, collided with someone is all- I'll have them call Miss Turner for you tomorrow." Sighing with contempt, Mirage lowered her hand, turning to face the man she had hit.

HIs brown eyes were filled with worry, a large bulbous nose sitting between them and a square jaw. Mirage blinked, taken aback before she cleared he throat.

"I'm so sorry, sir, did I hit you?" she said. The manshook his head.

"No, it was my fault, really, " he said, "Just be a little more careful next time, alright? We don't want a young woman such as yourself getting hurt again." He smiled, but Mirage could tell there was a sort of bitterness in his tone along with the gesture- something that could only have stemmed from his previous argument.

Something, she guessed, that had to do with this "Abigail's" supposed "death."

I could use that to my advantage, Mirage thought, putting ton a megawatt smile, clutching her clipboard to her chest. It annoyed her to have to play the goody-goody character, but someone had to do it, after all.

"Of course, sir," she agreed cheerfully, "Uh, sir?"

"Yes?" the man asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Could you direct me towards the nearest exit?" she asked, brushing her hair behind her ear, "I have a meeting to get to, and I forgot where I parked my car in the lot." At his agreement, a simple curt nod, she knew she had him baited.

It was even better that he agreed to help her find her "car," making the plan so much easier.

"Professor Robert Callaghan, by the way," said the man, holding a hand out. Mirage took it gingerly.

"Mir..iam Stanley," Mirage covered quickly, "nice to meet you. Are you a professor here at the university?" Professor Callaghan nodded, beaming proudly.

"I teach the robotics classes here," he explained, "I actually just gave a few students their acceptance letters, which in itself is fairly exciting." Mirage nodded, although she felt like she was about to fall asleep. She cared nothing for the university or it's classes or its students.

But Robert Callaghan was the only way she could get those damn microbots to her boss. So she had to play along. Mirage cleared her throat, licking her lips before answering him.

"Yes, I saw one of the presentations- Hiro Hamada with his microbots, correct?" she said, "Those could definitely make a breakthrough in the scientific community, no?" She peered down at her clipboard, flipping through the pages until she got to the back. A large yellow envelope was hidden underneath, and Mirage had realized they had gotten to the exit.

_Time to switch things up_.

"Oh, no!" she cried, flipping rapidly through her papers, "I can't believe I forgot something!" Callaghan stopped short, giving her a nervous look as she furrowed her brow, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, and she was surprised by the concern in his voice. She glanced up at him.

_Here comes the lie._ "I just left my daughter's birthday card on my desk is all, but I'm sure I can buy another one before her party tomorrow-" At the mention of a daughter, he seemed to tense, his shoulders stiffening, She felt his fingers tighten on the shoulder of her blazer, gently letting go once he realized it.

"You have a daughter?" he asked, "What's her name?" Mirage smiled sweetly.

"Abigail," she said, "she's turning seventeen tomorrow. Do you have any children, Professor Callaghan?" At the mere mention of the name, Mirage noticed his jaw lock, his teeth grind.

Now for the fun part.

"You know what? I'll just buy another one tomorrow," Mirage sighed, tucking her clipboard under her arm.

"Are you sure?" Robert said. Mirage nodded. A vein in Robert's neck looked like it was about to burst, his face tinged red.

"Yes," she said, "….. will you walk me to my car?" Tilted her head at his hesitation, she added, "It's dark, and well, you never know what's gonna happen to a woman all alone."

That sold it. Holding the door open for her, he hovered by her side as they searched for her car- her boss's really, but she couldn't make out where it was. _He said he'd be out back… _Mirage thought, squinting into the darkness. Dull lampposts crated small pools of light in rank corners, flies buzzing around the bulbs. And then she spotted the gleam of the black hood a few feet away. Mirage tapped Robert's arm, pointing to it.

"There's my car," she said, leading him to it. He followed obediently, pausing before grabbing the handle, his knuckles turning white as he pulled open the door. Mirage smiled.

Chivalry wasn't dead, apparently.

"Thank you, Professor," she said climbing in, reaching out to brush his fingers-

-And grabbing his blazer, dragging him i the car with her. She was fully aware of how heavy he was, but that didn't matter. She needed to get hose microbots.

"Augh!" Robert shouted, banging his head n the ri of the car door as he nearly collapsed against the vehicle. Grunting, he placed his free hand against the frame, resting Mirage's tugging.

But the woman was persistent; she was stronger than she looked. Gritting her teeth she gave one final pull, and managed to shut the door behind the man, locking them inside.

"Wha-what the hell, Miss Stanley!" Robert exclaimed, brow creased with worry. Mirage chuckle, inspecting her nails as if they were the most interesting things in the world. As she poked at them, she noticed some of the paint chipping- she made a mental note to go to the salon when this was over.

"Professor Callaghan, I assure you," Mirage grinned, "My name isn't Miriam Stanley. According to the government, Miriam Stanley doesn't exist."

She enjoyed the look of confusion that flooded his face as she went on, "In fact, you can call me Mirage. Of course, 'Mirage' doesn't exist to the government either, so let's just assume I'm a figment of your imagination, hmm?"

"I-I don't understand…" Robert began to protest, "You said you had a daughter… Abigail….!"

"Wow," Mirage deadpanned, "men really _do_ believe everything they hear, huh?" She smiled as he then tried to unlock the door, his grubby nails unable to get a firm grip on the sleek silver mechanism.

"There's no use, Robert," she said, "Only my boss has access to the locks. You're stuck here. Unless…"

Mirage jumped as Robert turned on her, anger welling up in his eyes.

"Your boss?" he muttered, "Is that how you knew about Abigail?" Mirage pursed her lips.

This guy was a fast learner.

"So you want to avenge her?" Mirage said, "Make her death more meaningful?" His face was turning purple by now, no doubt from the emotions he and been keeping in. All those memories, lost under lock and key. According to her statistics, since Abigail Callaghan had died a young woman, Robert was never able to walk her down the aisle. He was never able to see grandchildren of his own, to have pictures of in his office at work. There would e no more family vacations, there were no more birthday parties. Just a grave and an unrequited need to get back at whomever she knew Robert thought murdered his daughter.

"You know, Robert, you're a smart man," Mirage said cooly, "probably too smart for you town good."

"What are you getting at-"

"But that's where _we_- my _boss_ and I- that's where we can _help_ you," she teased, clasping her hands in her lap. The leather of the seat was uncomfortable, her skin sticking to the material with perspiration. Robert looked at her, unsure of what to do. Mirage leaned back in her seat.

She loved seeing that look. Seeing how people would respond in this situation.

Always, it went in her favor.

"How?" Robert asked, his voice cracking, wrinkles forming in his forehead as he eyes her suspiciously. She returned the look, raising an eyebrow in disdain.

"That boy, what was his name?" Mirage asked. She watched as Robert racked his brain before answering: "Hiro. Hiro Hamada- but what do you want with him?"

"Not him," Mirage scowled, "his invention."

It took Robert a minute to process what she was saying.

"The microbots….?" he breathed. Mirage nodded. "But hat would you want with tho-"

"The details can be worked out at a later date," Mirage said, thankful she still had the clipboard on her. Carefully, she undid it from the rest of the papers, pulling out the hidden envelope underneath. She held it out to him, her nails digging into the package, "This had all the instructs you need."

Hands shaking, Robert took it.

"What am I supposed to do?" Robert asked, his voice hardened, cold.

"Get the microbots," Mirage said, "once you do that, open that envelope and there's a device that will detonate-"

"You planted a bomb inside the building?!" Robert cried shrilly.

"-and once that goes off, get the headband that controls the microbots. Protect yourself, and then get out while everyone is distracted," Mirage ignored his pleas of discontent, "A car will be waiting for you to take you to headquarters."

"Headquarters?" Robert asked, holding the package gingerly between his fingers. "But how will I know it's you?" Mirage glared up at him as she lowered her head, sorting through blank pages. Robert jumped as there was a sharp noise, and the locks on the doors sprung up like flowers in spring.

"Trust me, Robert Callaghan," Mirage said with silk in her voice, "you'll know."

A cry of alarm escaped Robert's throat as the door suddenly swung open, and he was ejected from the car, left to ponder this plan as the car sped away, coughing black exhaust into the streets as it went.

Mirage could only hope Robert went with his part of the deal, or else there was going to be a whole lot of trouble for her boss to deal with on the other end.


End file.
